Table structure



May 4, 1948. 'QW 2,440,859

TABLE} STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 2, 1944 L QIINVENTOR. HAROLD, HOWE flg M BY W Ir 1 v V c ATT RNizYs Patented May 4, 1948 TABLEFSTRUGTURE. Harold -Howe, Rowayton, 0.01mi iiiiplieatiim October 2, 1944, SeriM-No; 556,390

'ihis. invention relates. to a table structural Anebjeet of'the ihventionis to provide a table having collahs'ibie support means; with amini of. parts, and a minimum of assembly op"- erations.

Another-object "oi the invention is tov provide a table; structure having collapsible. suppforting means which will be. inexpensive and-simple. to make hut whichwill nevertheless m'zbvi-de a solid, dependable supporting stir-face.v

Anbther obdect. f the; invention is; to provide atable of the kind described the liegsroi' are. held against lateral movement both in col-- lapsedv amitin-supporting position.

Qtherobjects of the invention will; be in part obvious. or impart pointed out: hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the-femtu'res' of construction, combinations :o'f elements, arrangements of parts and-in the: several steps and relation and order of each of: said steps. .to one or more of the others thereof, as; will he QOiDtGIdL'OUC in the rollowing description; the 'sctmeof the-application or willabe indicated intheioliowingcla-ims. V I

The: invention. will best be untierstoodiif the following description is medium connection with the d rawingav in which Figure I is: a plan View of the collapsed structure looking. GJQWHDHit$t1HdISHTf3CGZI Figure 2' is aside elexzationiblf the; structure in supportingposition;

Figure 3. is. a plan viewiookin'g'doivn; 'on the under side. :of the structure "as: shown Figure.

Figure 4 is. a fragmentary side elevation. shew"- ing, the cradlen'rerhber 15. mounted 'on theuhbler side of the table top I 0; I

Figure 5 is a. perspective View of the eradle membem'and.

Figure, 6. is a fragmentary plan;v view of the table in collapsed position. showing; the; relative position of one of the: supporting: members the and itsrcooperatinetstopmember211;. v

The -table: tDpa :lil is provided with elongated spring mean's. which. serve: as: only ettacrs ment between. the table top; ahdth'e table legs or supporting members. As; illustrated vherein there areh two elongatedfs'pring members Mid and Uh which extend longitudinally ofthe table th s and are preferably positioned adjacent the; re:-

spective side edges. oft-heta-ble: top. Each springmember is secured intermediate its ends to the table. top- H} in. any suitable wait, as for-exam:- ple, by bolt t2- extending upwardly through the table top. and retained in position by the nut; Preiierably the intermediate or portions; of

5 (llaims. (01.. Mi -84) 2 the spring members respectively are cradled in arcraidle member I15, which, as illustrated in Figure 5;. extends under and across the springmemher with which it.- is associated, and is provided with: upwardly extending sides 15a forming a channel in which the spring member lies. The sides [5721106 the cradle; members are provided with upwardly extendingsprongs 151), which are adaptedv tosink. into and? become. anchored: in the under. surface.- of table top Hl when pressure is exerted on the under side of the cradle, as by tightening up nut. their bolt 12, which may ext'ehct through the central bore I'Ztt provided through the cradle f5;

To the free ends of the spring members Ha and 4 tb si'mhort'meansfor the table top are pivotaiiy "connected; and it will be noted that this connection: is the only means for attaching the support means to the table top, hinges and the like being dispensed: with. As illustrated the supmeans: comprisestwo pairs of legs Mia and Nib; and lie and Nb; respectively, the legs of each pair being preterably jbine'd by 'one. or more cross: members er and 0 respectively. The memhers-c are somewhat shorter than the. members of so that the legs lfia and 161), when in coliapsfed. position-,1 substantially parallel with the tabletop. "F0, will lie. inside the legs Fla and Ill) respectively-.1 Preferably the spacing between legs l-fia: and-16b with respect to the spacing between legs Her and Nb is such that the. legs Ila and Nb will lie, when'coliap'sed, on the outside of as. the legs Km and I-fib, when collapsed, will lie oiithe: inside o'rthe spring-members Her and 11b respectively The spring members Ila and II -b are thus eonvenient'ly connectediat one end to the alrtsifle: of legs that and Izfib respectively, at pivots, 4'8; and. at the; other end to the inside of legstm and lib respectively, at pivots i9.

Extending transversely of table top. 1.0 on its underside are members 25 and 2t, which serve both ass-stop means; and as. position retaining means; for. the resbectivelegs comprisin the table support. means, Member Eli is, provided with the shoulders 2'2; positioned so that when legs Ilia and. 1612.- are; in supporting. pesition,v and vtheireifore angulemlyr related to table; top it], they will ahut against member 20' on the: outs-ideof shoulders 22 respectively, the shoulders; 22 thus servingto limit and prevent lateral movement of the support means-comprising leg-s; Him and 16b and, their cross; members 0; while at the-same time member 2-11 serves to limit rotational movement of the support means toward the transverse me- 3 dian line of the table top. Since in practice it is desirable to relate the support means to the top so that the support means at the respective ends of the table are spread apart and spaced somewhat further apart between their lower ends than their upper ends, it will be seen that in use the tendency of the support members, under load of the table top H! and whatever objects may be placed upon it, will be to rotate inwardly, toward the transverse median line of the table top, and with this movement limited by stop members 20 and 2i respectively, a firm support for the table A top is provided without hinge means interconnecting the table top and the supporting means."

the shoulders 22 of member to accord with the greater spacing between legs Ila and I'll) than between legs Ilia and Nib, and which serve toposition legs Ha and 11b in the same way that shoulders 22 position legs [6a and i612, and member 2! serves to limit rotation of the support means of which legs Ha and (1b are a part in the same way that member 20 limits the rotation of the support means of which legs 16a and "5b are a part. 1

The members 20 and 2| are also provided with longitudinally extendin slots which in the embodiment of the invention illustrated herein take the form of bevels of members 20 and 2 l, the extent of which is indicated respectively by the dotted lines 24 and 25, which provide space of sufiicient width and depth to receive therein the overlying portions of the respective leg members when they are in collapsed position. As illustrated the shoulders 22 and 23, which form a side wall for each of the said slots, or bevels, respectively, extending lengthwise of the table, serve to limit lateral movement of the legs relative to the table top, when the legs are in collapsed position, and also when the structure is on its side, as for example for storage or for transportation.

It will be seen that members 20 and 2|, and the shoulders 22 and 23, coact and cooperate with the Spring members Ila and lib to position the r leg members when they are in position to sup- I port the table top, and that the slots or bevels 24 and 25 respectively, together with the related shoulders, coact and cooperate with spring members Ha and Ilb, when the leg members are in collapsed position, to maintain the legs in collapsed position, substantially parallel with the table top and to prevent them from flapping laterally of the table top when the legs are in collapsed position and the structure is on its side, in a vertical plane, as is the case for example when it is being carried, and when it is not in use.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention an article in which the various objects hereinabove set forth together with many thoroughly practical advantages are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments might be made of the mechanical features of the above invention and as the art herein described might be varied in various parts, all without departing from the scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbeiore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A table structure comprising a top and support means therefor movable from a collapsed position parallel to the table top to supporting position in angular relation to the table top, said 4 support means being attached to the top only by elongated spring means pivotally secured at the ends to said support means respectively and secured to the table top intermediate its ends, and members extending transversely of said top and positioned with respect to said support means to provide stop means inhibiting movement of said support means in one direction from supporting posit on, said transversely extending members having means adapted to cooperate with said spring means to limit relative lateral movement between said support means and said top, both when said support means are in supporting position, and when said structure is collapsed and placed on its side as for storage or transportation.

2, A table structure comprising a table top, an elongated spring member extending longitudinally of the top and secured to the table top intermediate its ends, and support means for the table toplpivotally secured to said spring member at its respective ends, the said pivotal connections between said spring member and said support means respectively being disposed sothat said support means may be moved, from an angular relation to the top for supporting the top", to a position substantially parallel to the top within a projection of the area of the top, and means secured to the under surface of the table top serving to brace said support means both laterally and longitudinally of the top when said support means are in supporting position and to retain said support means from lateral movement when said support means are in collapsed position and the collapsed structure is substantially in a vertical plane, as for storage or transportation.

3. A table structure comprising a top, a plurality of elongated spring members extending longitudinally of the top, each being secured to the top intermediate its ends and support means for the top pivotally secured to the respective ends of said spring members, said elongated spring members being disposed adjacent the respective lateral edges of the top, and said support means comprising a plurality of pairs of legs, the legs of one pair being disposed to'lie inside said elongated spring members respectively when said support means are collapsed, and the legs of the other pair of legs being disposed to lie outside of said elongated spring members respectively when said support means arecollapsed, and means secured to the underside of said top each adapted to engage one of said legs both when it is collapsed and when it is in supporting position.

4. A table structure comprising a table top, support means therefor comprising legs'movable from a collapsed position parallel to the table top to an angular position in relation to the table top, elongated spring means pivotally secured at the end to said support means respectively and secured to the table top intermediate its ends, said table top having transversely extendin stop means having portions of reduced width each witha bevelled face aligned with the legs of said support means respectively and positioned on said table top relative to the legs of said support means so that when the legs are inclined to the table top at an obtuse angle, in position for supporting the table top, the upper'ends of said legs will abut against the bevelled face of said portions of said stop means respectively, said legs adjacent their tops being of greater thickness providing inwardly extending shoulders forming abutment means adapted when the legs of said support means are in collapsed position to rest against said bevelled faces of said stop means respectively with the said shoulder portions respectively in substantially abutting relationship laterally with shoulders defining an end of the said reduced portions of said stop means respectively, whereby the leg members are engaged by said stop means both when in collapsed and in support position and held against relative movement laterally.

5. A table structure comprising a table top, support means therefor movable from a collapsed position parallel to the table top to an angular position in relation to the table top, elongated spring means pivotally secured at the end to said support means respectively and secured to the table top intermediate its ends, said support means being offset on its inner surface providing an outwardly extendin shoulder adjacent-the end of said support means which is the upper end in use, said top member having transversely extending members positioned to engage said upper inner portion of said support means respectively when the latter are in supporting position.

HAROLD HOWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Dunbar May 8, 1906 Arnt Mar. 16, 1909 Haugland Feb. '7, 1911 Paris June 24, 1930 Brohasek et al Apr. 24, 1934 Number 

